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Time for Boulder to ban fracking

By Neshama Abraham

Posted:
01/13/2013 01:00:00 AM MST

Does the City of Boulder need a ban on fracking? I say yes and here's why.

We have 16 wells already in the City of Boulder -- many immediately next to residences and open space areas. These existing wells are likely candidates for fracking to access the valuable hydro-carbons resting about 1,000 feet under our homes, schools and office buildings. Boulder sits on top of a large "shale play" extending as far north to Canada, south into New Mexico and east to Kansas. It is part of the same shale layer with economically-recoverable oil and gas that is actively being fracked in Weld County, where there are more than 19,000 active wells.

While you might think, "This is Boulder. No oil and gas operator is going to start fracking here." The fact is they can, and right now we have no legal defense to prevent the oil and gas industry if they chose to frack in our city.

It has only been in the past year that the first peer-reviewed studies have been published about the health effects of fracking and they are alarming. Well-respected endocrine researcher Theo Colborn studied the air pollutants around drilling in Western Colorado and found high concentrations of toxic chemicals and carcinogens that cause severe health damage (see natural gas video at endocrinedisruption.com).

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Another peer-reviewed study by Lisa McKenzie of the Colorado Dept. of Public found that the air pollutants from fracking increase a person's risk of cancer 60 percent (see resources on frackfreeboulder.org ). In the documentary "Gasland" by Josh Fox people who live near fracked wells in Weld County describe how their well water turned brown by the fracking solution containing hundreds of toxic chemicals that seeped into and poisoned the water table. These Coloradans -- after wells were fracked near their home -- got cancer, brain tumors, severe asthma, disorientation, tremors, migraines, continuous nose bleeds, etc.

Colorado residents are taking a stand. Citizens in Longmont voted overwhelmingly to ban fracking last November in a historic, citizen-driven effort. Fort Collins passed a moratorium on fracking with a unanimous city council vote in December. El Paso County passed a moratorium at the end of 2011. Colorado Springs passed a moratorium in 2012. Erie and Boulder County passed a moratorium in 2012. (On Thursday, Jan. 24, at 4 p.m., Boulder County Commissioners are holding a public meeting with time for citizen comments to decide whether to extend the moratorium on fracking in Boulder County.)

Boulder is falling behind and needs to join the rising tide against fracking. We must protect our citizens, land, air and water, and our property values. Who wants to buy a home near a fracking operation? Our quality of life and our economy are at stake. What athlete wants to train or a tourist visit a city with polluted air, unsafe drinking water, with 18-wheel trucks doing an average of 100 trips per day 24/7 to and from a well site, with stadium quality lights on at well pads all night?

Colorado State Legislators have placed fracking on the 2013 agenda. Citizen volunteers across Colorado are working to permanently ban fracking in their communities. The more cities that join this state-wide effort the stronger the message that Colorado citizens are demanding a state-wide ban on this dangerous and destructive process.

A ban on fracking is also consistent with our Boulder municipalization effort. It is only by having local control over the source of our electricity that we can first work to minimize our reliance on all fossil fuels, including natural gas, and then seek to find the cleanest, most "ethical" source for any remaining energy need. Importantly, natural gas doesn't have to come from fossil fuel sources; it can be sourced from renewable sources, including feed lots, biomass gasification and sewage treatment plants.

Boulder is ready to move beyond fossil fuels. Banning fracking within city limits is a protective move to give us the greatest safeguards possible to prevent fracking next to our homes, schools and businesses, and is consistent with our vision for a clean energy future. It is also the right message to send to our politicians at the state level as this is a battle that needs to be won for all citizens in Colorado and the rest of the state needs our support. It's time for Boulder to step up and ban fracking now!

Neshama Abraham lives in Boulder and is the founder of Frack Free Boulder.

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